Sorcerer from Another World

Then Kimili, one of the cheering warriors, got lanced by a branch. It pierced straight through his chest pushing all his major internal organs out of his body. Many more branches speared down and we scrambled to defend ourselves.

I looked up and saw thick fields of black energy pulse around the monstrosity. The Yewam which had been unrooted, slowly arose. 

I sensed the magic and felt the tinge of undeath about the creature now. 

The Yewam launched a fresh wave of attacks. A dozen spikes of bark.

I raised a metal wall. I didn’t have enough time. The metal was thin and weak. Every stab threatened to break frail line of defence. 

“Whatever magic raises the dead has also risen the Yewam.” I guessed. 

“Then it cannot be killed? Jordigal despaired. 

“We need to retreat. This is a lost cause.” Tara said as she cut down more of the attacking branches.

“No!” shouted Galen. “We can do it. The sorcerer can do it. We have to try again.” 

“It cannot die!” Tara shouted back. “He is our only hope, we have gone too far already. We must turn back.”

“If we do not kill it now will we ever get another chance.” Geoff argued.

“Silence, Bard.” Tara commanded. 

Galen turned to me, “Please, we can do this. We are so close, do not give up now. I believe in you.”

I sighed. Fuck. Logic dictated retreat. But, he had faith in me. What would Morgana and Iris think if I ran? Would they be as disappointed as Galen would be? Even if they understood, would I continue to believe in myself if I ran from an overgrown tree? 

“Once more.” I declared.

The warriors nodded with grim smiles. Tara’s eyes narrowed but she raised an arm, “Ferisdarm!”

“Ferisdarm!” we shouted back.

Galen gave the slightest of smiles, “We can do this.”

“Aye.” I said.

Killing it was possible. Taking it down for good was harder. The issue was getting rid of it right now. I got the feeling that even crushing it under a huge lump of metal would not be enough. Whatever magic this creature was made of was far more than the mere mortal life of an organic organism. 

We couldn’t just kill it. We had to destroy it totally. I wasn’t sure exactly how to do that yet. 

The metal barrier crumbled under the unrelenting assault. The warriors dashed and clashed with the flood of spear-like branches. They stayed alive as I got to work on better defence. The young bard Geoff shook, but held his nerve. 

I morphed the metal wall into thousands of small razor sharp fans that I held with one shaking hand. I sent from my forefinger a spark of lightning to electrify the defensive wall of fans. They chewed up the bark. For now.  

At the same time, the undead charged and the warriors fought them back. They battled with sharp steel against a wave of rotting flesh.  

Galen turned his back to the present danger. Alone he hacked at the roots of the Undead Yewam. Thick, rotting roots that fought back.   

At his back, I unleashed waves of electricity to fry the dead. The blue-white waves burned through their dead flesh and bone, reducing dozens of them to dust. Giving our warriors a much needed support. 

“We can’t hold out forever!” Tara shouted as she slew three in turn. 

I looked up at the gargantuan creature. Even after it had been uprooted it was still resurrecting itself. I couldn’t kill. I had tried my powers: metal and electricity. Organism wasn’t sufficient. Not to an undying creature. I did have one more. I traced the concept with the edges of my thoughts.

I tapped deep into Cultivation. I felt every aspect of the undead organism and its potential. The Undead Yewam retained its organic potential. A false life that promised all the gifts of life but without the possibility of warmth, desire and love. 

I grew the Yewam a thousand years the time of a breath. Then ten thousand on the next exhale. Finally on the third breath I grew it one hundred thousand years. Flaky and shrivelled, it let out a long pained groan. 

A wave of exhaustion passed over me, my legs wobbled till I hit the dirt, “Finish it.” I gasped. 

Galen with grim determination walked over to the now ancient Yewam. He hacked it until the sun’s light disappeared behind the movement of the planet. After a thousand cuts, the once great being blew away in a cloud of ashy dust under the force of a gentle breeze. 

“It is done,” he said.

“It is.” I confirmed as I felt the creature finally die. 

“We won!” shouted Tara. 

The survivors cheered with glory and relief. 

“Victory!” I yelled to the heavens.

Unfortunately, the undead didn’t wither away along with the Yewam. Their source of animation being otherwise. 

The battle raged on. But I was slumped like a boneless sack of flesh. Tara held me up with one arm. She cut down the enemy with the other. I felt like I had run a marathon and back. My muscles burned. My thoughts were slow and jumbled. I struggled in vain again with the fatigue. 

I still felt the drip of magic come from my enchantment. Perhaps, I had used too much magic even for this enhanced body. 

“On me!” Galen called out. “Rally to me!”

The warriors gathered to him, and Tara carried me to her horse.

“Do not waver now! To me! To me! Live! One more ride and live to enjoy your glory in the halls of Ferisdarm! Live and see your the rewards of immortal fame!”

In a cluster of bodies they fought back the horde.

“Ride! Ride to Ferisdarm. Ride to home and hearth!”

They charged with fury and desperate longing to reach the safe walls of Ferisdarm. 

I could do little as their claws reached for me. Their sharp nails scratched against the surface of my armour.

“Tara keep him alive! Die a thousand death before the Saviour of Ferisdarm falls.” Galen  ordered.

Joridgal slew an undead nearing my position, “Protect the Yewam slayer!”

Skor declared with zeal, “Fear not! No undead could harm The Resurrected! Even death fears the Promised One.” 

Tara stone faced replied, “I will slay as many undead as necessary to fulfil my duty.”

They broke through. Out of the grey waves of the dead and onto the green grass towards the high walls of Ferisdarm. Over rolling hills they galloped without rest back to safety. 

The gates opened before them to a crowd of concerned faces.

Galen boomed, “Victory! Sound it into every home in Ferisdarm. We our victorious!”